Zanu PF party chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri
yesterday said the party will order re-runs in some areas due to the chaos.
Due to the volatile nature of the DCC elections, polling
stations had to be guarded by members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police, which
the party however said they were not going to pay them.
“The police were there to maintain peace and order, and
this is not a service that is open only to Zanu PF but to every organization
across the board when they have their activities and need police presence,”
Muchinguri-Kashiri said.
However, police normally charge per hour when they provide
security details for private functions.
In Muzarabani North, results of the elections started
trickling in yesterday, and Muzarabani North MP who is also the Energy Minister
Soda Zhemu landed the chairmanship post.
Deputy Finance minister and Zaka East MP Clemence Chiduwa
was voted chairperson for the Zaka district with 3 582 votes to his opponent,
whose name was only given as Chitara, managed 300 votes.
Another MP Davison Svuure (Zaka Central) landed the vice
chairmanship post after polling 1 988 votes, while his close contender Paradzai
Chakona garnered 1 291 votes.
However, in Mutare the DCC elections were so chaotic that
some original ballot papers were found thrown in bins, which raised fears of
rigging.
NewsDay is reliably informed that the ballot papers that
were thrown into bins were found at First Class Academy School in Sakubva ward
3. A police report was then made. Four candidates namely, Binali Yard, Clever
Muparutsa, Ivan Mbengo and Cecilia Gambe are eyeing the Mutare DCC
chairmanship.
One of the candidates who spoke to NewsDay on condition of
anonymity said: “There is now a deliberate plot to delay the process and to
frustrate my supporters so that they do not cast their votes. Just imagine we
found used original ballot papers at First Class Academy in ward 3 thrown in
various bins, this is rigging.”
The elections have now spilled into the third day in Mutare
and yet some centres in Chikanga have not yet received ballot papers.
The Zanu PF provincial secretary for administration Kenneth
Saruchera said he was not able to comment about the chaos to media. However, a
re-run of the DCC elections was ordered in 14 of the 26 wards in the province.
In Mangwe district, Matabeleland South, some wards did not
vote amid allegations that the presiding officers did not turn up, especially
in Empandeni ward.
In response to the chaotic scenes at the DCC elections,
Muchinguri-Kashiri during a media briefing warned all rogue elements within the
party, saying that there will be a clampdown on anyone who attempts to cheat
their way into power. Muchinguri-Kashiri said there will be investigations into
all allegations of violence and cheating during the DCC elections.
“Any malcontents who have orchestrated such indiscipline
and brought the party into disrepute will be held accountable,”
Muchinguri-Kashiri said, adding that full investigations will be carried out in
Mutare.
“We are fully aware that there are areas where some
individuals have chosen to act contrary to the rule and guidelines that were
given. In such cases, thorough investigations will be conducted and should there
be clear and irrefutable evidence of some manipulation of systems or rules, it
must be made clear that the National Command Centre may recommend re-runs in
order to make sure the wishes of the party members are respected,” she said.
The ruling party admitted that its elections were affected
by logistical challenges which saw ballot papers not arriving on time, and that
other polling stations had no polling officers.
“Whilst we recognise the positive results on the ground we
acknowledge challenges with regards to delays in the distribution of ballot
papers and boxes, inequitable distribution of ballot papers and shortage of
presiding officers,” she said.
Political analysts said the chaos at the Zanu PF DCC
elections has exposed deep rooted factionalism in the ruling party ahead of the
2023 elections as bigwigs were at each other’s throats.
Rashweat Mukundu said: “There is no doubt that the party
has remained in trouble and the ugly head of factionalism has not only reared,
but it has done so in a more forceful manner.
That clearly shows that leadership contestations in Zanu PF
are not over regardless of the rhetoric. The leaders of Zanu PF are at variance
with the direction of the party and that has inevitably put the whole country
in peril as these are the people we expect to make decisions on the future of
the country.”
Mukundu said what was more problematic was that the Zanu PF
leaders have now shelved their governing mandate of addressing challenges
affecting the country to focus on internal squabbles.
Alexander Rusero said: “There have always been
contradictions of Zanu PF internal democratic process since its formation, and
sadly because of its status as the ruling party these contradictions always
manifest at national elections level. These contradictions emanate from the
current tussle on who should be the legitimate brokers and stakeholders of the
party: the army or the civilians.”
Another analyst Eldred Masunungure said: “Those accusations
or allegations are not new, they are part of the Zanu PF way of doing things
internally and externally and that is rigging and bribery of prospective voters
and these are age-old features of Zanu PF that are not likely to go away.”
Newsday
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